Bottle-cap seal and method of making the same



Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,766

C. C. PARKR BOTTLE CAP SEAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 28, 1926 l %into p Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED 'STATES CHARLES C. PARKER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOTTLE-CAP SEAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE sS'AME.

Application filed May 28,

This invention relates to seals for metal body Caps, and to a method of making the same. Seals of this character usually consist of disks of compressible material, such as cork, and sometimes' such seals are faced with smaller disks of thin material which is impervious to water. The facing disk is intended to contact with the inner part ot' the lip of the bottle, to prevent the contents of the bottle from Coming in contact with the cork, or from seeping through to the metal cap, and also to prevent particles of cork from dropping into the liquid. The margin of the disk of compressible material is left free to undergo compression when the cap is applied to the bottle by a capping machine. The seals, with or without the facing disks, are usually ceniented into the metal Caps and the facing disks are applied in various ways, usually by the use of cement. In the subsequent handling of the Caps, as when they are in the hoppers of the automatic capping machines, it not infrequently happens that thefacings will drop off of some of the seals, and also the seals will drop out of the caps.

The purpose of the present invention is 'to provide a bottle cap seal having a facing disk which can be readily applied to the conipressible disk and which interlocks with the latter so that it cannot become readily detached, and this facing disk co-operates with the compressible disk to expand the narginal portion of the latter into the flutings of the metal cap when the seal is pressed into the cap. The facing disk is thus echanically held to thecompressible disk so that no cement is required between the disks, and

the compressible disk is wedged'within the cap so that the seal will not dropout of the cap even though the seal be inperfectly cemented to the cap. I

In carrying out the invention, I take a disk of cork, or other suitable compressible material, adapted to fit within the ordinary crinped bottle cap, and by means of suitable tools, I bend the marginal portion of this' disk out of the plane of the central portion, thus producing a state of tension in a circular zone near the mai-gin of the disk on one of its sides. With a cutting tool, I make a circular slit, concentric with the periphery of the disk. in the part of the diskwhich is under tension. As soon as this cut is made the walls of the slit spread apart, formng a V-shapecl circular groove wlieh extends 1926. Serial No. 112.302.

a little more than half through the compressible disk. The facing disk is 'referably made of thin celluoid with a fiauge adapted to fit in the groove formed in'the disk of compressible material. The flanged disk is then, by suitable nechanism. placed over the compressible disk with its 'fiange extending into the groove in the latter, and pressure is applied to the two disks, which has the ellect of erunpling the flange of the 'acing disk and of fiattening the narginal portion of the compressible disk into the plane ot' the body of said latter disk. The walls of the circular groove thus grip the flange of the 'tacing disk and become interlocked with it. When the pressure is relieved, the mai-gin of the compressible disk is held, by the flane e of the t'acine` disk, at a slight angle. to the body of the former, making the seal slightly convex on the side opposite the facing. As the metal bottle Caps are generally coneave on their inner faces, when the seal is pressed into the cap, with its concave face next to the concave face of the (rap, the seal buckles and its marginal portions are forced into frictional engagement with the crimps in the cap flange. lVhile thus held. it is impossible for the faeing to drop off of the compressible disk' and the cap will stand ordinary handling without causing the seal to drop out, even though the latter be not cemented in place; or, if the'seal is cemented to the cap, as is eustomary, the seal will be held frietionally within the cap even though the cenenting be imperfect. The facing may also be cemented to the compressible disk, although this is not essential for securing the facing to the disk.

In the accompanying drawing, in which the seal andthe method of making and applving it are illustrated,

ig. 1 is a perspeotive View of a disk of, compressible material, such as cork as commonly used in seals for bottle eaps;

-Figfl2 is a central section through the same, showing the marginal portion ot' the disk bent out of the plane of the body of the disk;

Fig. 3 shows the disk after an annular slit has been made in the disk on the side and in the zone which was put under tension by bending down the margin of the disk;

Fig. 4 shows the fianged facing disk in position to be applied to `the compressible disk;

Fig. 5 shows the facing disk applied to the leo compressible disk, and the marginal portions of the latter flattened out by pressure;

F ig. 6 shows the completed seal after the pressure has been relieved; and, I

Fig. 7 shows the seal in place in a metal bottle cap.

Referring to the drawing, a indicates a disk of cork, cork composition, or other compressible material, suitable for making a bottle cap seal b indicates a facing disk, and c indicates a crimped metal bot-tle cap. In carrying out the invention, the marginal portion 1 of the compressible disk-is bent downwardly out ot' the plane of the body portion 2, by a suitable press, not shown, and the material at one-side of the disk is thus put under tension in a circular zone at the angle 3 between the marginal portion and the body portion of the disk. While thedisk is thus bent, a suitable cutting tool forms an annular slit, concentric with the margin of the disk in the zone where the material is under tension, and the walls of this slit immediately spread, forning the V-shaped groove 4 shown in Fig. 3.

The facing disk b, which is relatively thin and preferably made of celluloid, has a fiange -5, and after the slit has been made in the compressible disk, the facing disk is brought into the position shown in Fig. 4 and the two disks are then pressed together, the

flange 5 entering the circular slot 4. This compression of the disks causes the marginal portions of the disk a to fiatten out and also causes the flange of the facing disk to crumple, as shown at in Fig. 5, and the walls of the slot thus become interlockedwith the fiange on the facing disk. When the ressure is relieved, the marginal portion o the disk a is bent slightly out of line with the body portion by reason of the presence of the flange 5 in the slot. The finished seal, shown in Fig. 6, is thus slightly convex.

4 Thecap, madeof sheet metal, comprises the body portion 6, slightly concave on its inner' side, and a crimped flange 7. The completed sealis pressed into the cap, with its corcave side facing the inner concave surface of the cap, and this pressure causes the seal to buckle, as shown in Fig. 7 and the marginal portion 1 of the seal is thus forced otwardly against the crimps in the cap, this narginal portion being somewhat stretched bythe bending operation, and also pressed outwardly by the flange on the facing disk, which fills the slit cut in the compressible disk, and to that extent expands `the`, marginal portion. The seal will ordinai-ily-be also Secured within the cap b ;suitable cementing material, as indicate at 8.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The method of making bottle ca seals, each composed of a disk of compressi le material and a smaller flanged disk of waterproof material, which comprises bending the marginal portion of the compressible disk out of the plane of its body portion to produce a state of tension in a circular zone 011 one side of said latter disk, making an annularslit on said side of the compressible disk and in said zone, placng said flanged disk on said side with its flange in the slit, and pressing said disks together to fiatten the seal and cause the walls of the slit to grip said flange.

2. The method of making bottle cap seals, each composed of a disk of compressible material and a smaller flanged disk of waterp'oof material, which comprises bending the margnal portion of the compressible disk out of the plane of its body portionto produce a state of tension in a circular zone on one side of. said latter disk, making an annular slit on said side of the compressible disk and in said zone, placing said fianged disk on said side with its flange in the slit, and applying pressure to said disks suflicient to crunple the flange and flatten the seal.

3.. A bottle closure compri'sing a metal cap, a disk of compressible material within the cap, said disk having a circular slit adjacent its periphery, .and a thin disk of water roof material having a peripheral flange tting in said slit.

4. A bottle closure comprising a metal cap, a disk of compressible material within the cap, said disk having a circular slit adjacent its periphery, and a thin disk of waterproof material having a peripheral fiange fitting in said slit, said flange being annularly crimped and interlocked with the walls of the slit.

5. A seal for crimped metal bottle caps comprising a disk of compressible material having a circular slit adjacent its periphery and a disk of waterproof material having a peripheral flange fitting in said slit.

6. A seal for crimped metal bottle caps comprising a disk of compressible material 'having a circular slit. adjacent its periphery and a disk of `celluloid having a peripheral flange fitting in said slit.

7. A seal for' crimped metal bottle caps comprising a disk of compressible material having a circular slit adjacent its periphery and a disk of waterproof material having a peripheral flange fitting in said slit and interlocked with' the =walls thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. v

ClIARLES C. PARKER. 

